A 38-year-old security officer has been charged with the murder of an alleged shoplifter.
Limpopo police said an unknown male customer was reportedly accused of shoplifting at one of the stores in a shopping mall at Jane Furse outside Sekhukhune on Wednesday morning.
Spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said police responded to a complaint of a man who passed on while in custody of the security officers after he was allegedly caught stealing.
“Upon arrival they found the deceased with multiple stab wounds. Preliminary investigation revealed that he was stabbed by one of the security officers during interrogations in the store room,” Ledwaba said.
“Police opened a case of murder and the suspect was arrested at the scene after he was linked to the murder.”
Ledwaba said the identity of the deceased will also be revealed at a later stage.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe condemned the actions of the security officer and ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
"It is unaccepted for security officers to break the law as they are our partners in the fight against crime.The suspect should have known better.“
Police said the suspect is expected to make his first appearance in the Sekhukhune Magistrate's Court on Friday.
In a similar incident, a 36-year-old father was allegedly stabbed to death by security guards at Shoprite after his son was caught shoplifting.
The juvenile was allegedly caught by the security guards for stealing a deodorant when someone alerted his family, who arrived and accosted the guards.
IOL News